Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Lost my touch? LOST MY TOUCH!? *Cracks knuckles* We'll see about that…

ElphieNeedsAHug: Yes, I have noticed that Maddy and I update our stories on the same day. I'm just gonna use the excuse "Great minds think alike."

Zenaida (Guest): Yes, be scared. Be very scared.


"Hello, Rix, Maven, Ebaline," Alyena smiled as she greeted the first of her family members to arrive.

"Hello, Aunt Alyena," Rix smiled, kissing his aunt's cheek. "Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday, Aunt Alyena," Ebaline smiled, kissing her great-aunt's cheek after her father.

"Thank you," Alyena smiled as she saw another carriage arrive. "Inya and Witson! How wonderful to see you again."

"Hello, Aunt Alyena. Happy birthday," Inya smiled, coming up the stairs, followed by her husband and sons.

As more and more family members began to arrive, the more the mixed voices of family members catching up filled the air. Fiyero went around greeting his family and introducing Elphaba as his girlfriend. Elphaba smiled politely and did the best she could to socialize. Though most of Fiyero's family gave her weird looks and whispered behind their hands while glaring at her, a few actually managed to hold a bit of a conversation before managing to escape. For the most part, they would ask her how she managed to meet Fiyero, which led her to have to explain her lung disease, which was something she really didn't want to do over and over again.

"And… where did you say you were from again?" Fiyero's cousin, Inya, asked, a hint of disdain in her voice.

"I'm from Munchkinland. My father is the Governor."

The older woman nodded stiffly and walked away without another word. The green girl let out a breath and went to get some more punch. She was about to fill her cup when she felt someone tug on her skirt. She looked down and saw one of Fiyero's younger cousins looking up at her.

"Hello," she smiled. "You're Maylah, aren't you?"

The little girl nodded, her dark brown pigtails bouncing up and down.

"Is there something you wanted?"

"Juice," the two-year-old said, pointing to Elphaba's cup.

The green girl nodded and filled the cup before handing it to the little girl.

"Tank 'ou," Maylah said, finishing the cup and handing it back to Elphaba.

"You're very welcome," Elphaba smiled before she heard someone shriek.

"Maylah, get away from her!" a woman, probably Maylah's mother, Luciana, said as she pulled her daughter away from the green girl. Elphaba quickly noticed that the woman was pregnant and looked around seven or eight months along. "I don't want you to catch her contagious green or her lung disease!" She gave the green girl a harsh look before hurriedly pulling her away.

Elphaba tried her best not to look hurt. She wasn't doing anything, but that didn't matter. No matter what, she would always be doing something wrong, just by being green. Fiyero, who had been playing with the children, looked up and saw Elphaba standing alone by the drinks. He sent Amalitta over to ask if she was alright and stayed behind to watch.

"Miss Elphieba?" the three-year-old said as she gently tugged on Elphaba's skirt.

The green girl looked down. "Yes?"

"Cousin Yewo wants to know if you're alwight."

Elphaba looked up at the prince, who had one kid on his back and two on his legs. She smirked, knowing that he had gotten stuck babysitting. "Yes. You can tell him that I'm fine."

"Are you two dating?"

Elphaba smiled softly. "Yes, we are."

"He's your boyfwiend?"

Elphaba nodded.

Amalitta's eyes lit up. "I have a boyfwiend, too!"

"Really?" Elphaba laughed. She knelt down in front of the little girl. "What's his name?"

"His name's Rofer. He's nice and tall, just the way I like 'em."

Elphaba didn't even bother to hold in her laughter. "Why do you like him?"

"Because he's nice and tall, just the way I like 'em," Amalitta blinked like it was obvious, confused as to why Elphaba asked the question.

"Litta!" the little girl's mother called from the tables.

Amalitta turned and waved to Elphaba before running over to her mother. Elphaba rose to her full height and got another cup of punch before she felt another tug.

"I have a question for you," Amalitta said when Elphaba looked down.

"Yes?"

"Why are you green?"

Elphaba looked at the little girl, whose head was tilted slightly to the side as she looked up at her with large, blue eyes. "No one knows. I was born this way."

"Oh. Okay," Amalitta said before turning towards her mother, who was still sitting down at one of the tables. "She said she was born this way, Mommy!" she shouted as she ran back to her mother.

Elphaba scanned the crowd for Fiyero and found him in a deep conversation with one of his family members. She didn't want to disturb him, but she also really didn't want to be alone anymore.

"I don't know what he sees in her," a voice caught her attention.

Elphaba looked up slightly, realizing that some of Fiyero's older relatives were glaring at her. She quickly looked away, pretending not to hear them.

"I mean, look at that skin. It's hideous. Very unbecoming of someone associating with the heir to the throne."

"I agree," another voice said. "And did you hear about her lung disease?"

"I heard."

"I heard about that, too," a third voice said. "Imagine all the germs she's spreading around right now."

"I don't know how Aunt Alyena could have approved of this relationship."

"Where is she from again?"

"Munchkinland."

"And of all the girls Fiyero chooses, he chooses a Munchkin girl. Governor's daughter or not, he can do better."

"This probably won't last. Fiyero will get himself a proper girl soon enough."

"I agree. He'll come to his senses soon enough."

"She doesn't have what it takes to be a princess."

"You think Fiyero is that serious about her?"

"He probably is, or else she wouldn't be here."

"I thought this was just supposed to be family. She's obviously not family."

"How did Fiyero even managed to come into contact with a girl like her?"

"I wonder if she's even a girl…"

Elphaba moved away from the hateful voices, desperate to push them out of her mind. She had expected this from Fiyero's family members, but just because she was prepared didn't mean she wanted it to happen.

"Elphaba?"

The green girl turned around and came face to face with a young woman, a bit older than her. Her brown hair stopped at her shoulder blades and her hazel eyes looked kindly back at the green girl.

"I'm Calysteria, but you can call me Cally," the young woman said. "I'm about to be…" She trailed off in thought for a moment. "Fiyero's second cousin-in-law," she finished with a soft chuckle.

Elphaba remembered Fiyero telling her something about Cally. "Hello," she said politely, even though she was putting up her defenses.

"I heard that you were dating Fiyero and I wanted to get to know you a bit. Then I saw you over here by yourself and figured that you would want some company."

Elphaba looked at Cally. She still didn't know if she could trust her or not. She had come over to her on her own, so she guessed that was a start. She decided to give it a shot. If it didn't work out, she could always tell Fiyero that she was going upstairs to rest. It's not like she would be missed if she did.

"Don't worry, Elphaba. Everyone did the exact same thing to me when I got engaged to Windon," Cally said, smiling at the green girl when they started talking and Elphaba told her about Fiyero's relatives. "They did that to me when I first started dating Windon. Although, they weren't as harsh as they were with you. Then again, Windon is nowhere near being heir to the throne."

The green girl cracked a small smile.

"But don't worry. Once they get to know you, they'll lighten up."

"People normally don't. Especially with my skin," Elphaba said.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Cally asked.

Elphaba nodded.

"The thing that worked for me was to get the oldest family members to like you. I see that you already succeeded with Alyena and Navon, so that will help the other four to like you. Once you get the oldest members of each family branch to like you, everyone else will follow. Trust me."

"It worked for you?" Elphaba asked.

Cally nodded. "And you know what? Flim, Aoide's husband, taught me that trick."

The two talked some more before Cally excused herself to go back to Windon. Elphaba spotted Fiyero with a few of his younger family members and decided that she would finally rejoin him.

"Ah, Elphaba," Alyena called as Elphaba walked past her.

The green girl stopped and curtsied. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"I left a photo album on the table in the parlor. Could you go get it for me?"

"Of course," Elphaba nodded and hurried back inside to retrieve the photo album for the queen.

"Thank you, my dear," Alyena smiled as she took the book. "Would you sit with us for a while?"

Elphaba knew that she couldn't deny the queen, but paused when she saw her younger brother and sister and their spouses giving her disapproving looks. She remembered what Cally said about trying to get them to like her and everyone else will follow suit, so she said yes and sat down in a vacant seat.

She listened as the queen recounted memories of her younger days with her siblings. They exchanged family stories and watched as the youngest children played together. Elphaba was very conscious of the other family members watching, waiting to see how their oldest members would react to the green girl.

"So, Elphaba, is it?" Sophala asked with a slight sniff.

"Yes, Your Highness," Elphaba nodded, looking at the princess.

"Why don't you tell us about yourself?"

Elphaba told the basic details about her life, her family, and her hobbies, but avoided her illness.

"Is it true that you have a contagious lung disease?" Castor asked.

"And is it related to your green skin?" Mickson asked.

The queen shushed her relatives.

"It's alright," Elphaba said, smiling softly at the queen. "I do have a lung disease, but it's not contagious. My lungs are, for some unknown reason, scarred. It makes it harder for me to breathe sometimes. And it's not related to my green skin."

"How long have you been contaminated?" Sophala asked, still very stiff.

"Sophala!" Alyena admonished.

Elphaba began to slowly shut down. "I got sick when I was four."

The queen could sense that Elphaba really didn't want to talk about her illness anymore, so she tried to change the subject, but her relatives had different ideas.

"And how did you manage to meet Fiyero?" Carme asked.

"I was in a hospital in the Emerald City. Fiyero came with his parents for a visit one day and he snuck away and found my room."

"Why were you in an Emerald City hospital? Why couldn't you have just stayed in Munchkinland?"

"I was in the Emerald City for a special procedure."

"What kind of procedure?" Castor asked.

"Castor!" Alyena hissed.

"They inserted a needle into my lungs to try and get a sample of the scarring."

"How old were you?" Mickson asked.

"Eight."

"How big was the needle?" Alyena asked gently. Elphaba indicated with her fingers and the queen gasped. "That's a big needle to be sticking in a little girl."

"I was fine. It was very painful, but I got over it."

The relatives seemed to pause. They couldn't believe that a needle that size was used to get a sample from a small child.

"Have you ever considered surgery to fix the problem?" Carme asked, more gently than before.

Elphaba shook her head. "Surgery won't fix anything. They can only give me medication that will slow the scarring process."

"They can't fully stop it or get rid of the scarring?" Sophala asked.

"No, they can't."

"So… it will eventually kill you?"

Elphaba shivered slightly. "The doctors don't believe that it will. At least, not for a while. They said that I have a good chance of living a long life. It doesn't affect my daily life that much. I can still do normal, everyday things and take care of myself. But… eventually… there is a very high chance that it will be the cause of my death."

The four elders paused and looked at the green girl.

"Has it been getting worse?" Carme asked.

"I… a bit. I've been having a lot of small, minor attacks, but nothing big."

"What is considered a 'big' attack?" Castor asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

The green girl tried her best not to squirm. "When my airways close enough to barely let any air through, or I stop breathing completely."

"What happens then? Can't you take medicine for that?"

"Not when it's that bad. I have to go to the hospital."

"Are you in the hospital a lot?"

"Not… a lot." She tried to remain calm. She could feel an attack coming on and prayed that the royals wouldn't notice.

"Castor, that's enough," Alyena frowned.

"I don't think it would be wise for Fiyero to get involved in a girl who is always going to be in the hospital. That would but a lot of unnecessary pressure on him," Mickson said to his wife. "He already has enough on his shoulders as the future king."

Elphaba looked down at the bowl of her lap, still struggling to maintain her breathing.

"Elphaba has been a big help to this family this year," Alyena interjected before her relatives could ask another question. "She has helped Fiyero with his schoolwork and encouraged him to accept his title and destiny as heir to the throne. She has helped him to become more serious about the throne, and about his own life, and has helped him to become more responsible."

The relatives looked back at the green girl. They had known what Fiyero was like and they had to admit, he even seemed a bit different around the family. Slowly, they all softened a bit.

"I must admit, Elphaba, I still don't know what Fiyero sees in you," Sophala said.

Alyena gave her sister a look.

"But if my sister approves of this relationship, I guess I am in no position to argue."

"Neither are we," Carme and Castor agreed.

"As am I," Mickson said.

Elphaba supposed this was as close to acceptance as she was going to get, so she simply thanked the royals and excused herself. She needed a break. She needed her inhaler, and she needed Fiyero. It didn't take her long to spot him talking to a young teenager, around sixteen years old.

"Hey, Fae," Fiyero smiled when he saw Elphaba approaching him, but frowned slightly when she didn't smile back. "Are you…"

Elphaba shook her head before he even finished and the prince quickly fished her inhaler out of his pocket, having brought it outside with him just in case.

"Are you alright?" he asked when she took the medicine and regained control of her breathing.

"I am now," Elphaba said, slowly inhaling and exhaling.

Fiyero decided to write a rain check on the overprotectiveness and gently wrapped his arms around her waist. "Oh, Fae, this is my cousin, River. River, this is my girlfriend, Elphaba."

"Hi," Elphaba said softly, not sure how River was going to react, especially after what she just saw.

The girl looked her up and down, then smiled slightly. She went over to Elphaba and held out her hand. Elphaba took it and they shook hands. "I'm River, Fiyero's favorite cousin."

"Sure, you're the favorite," the prince said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm the one you tell everything to, so yes, I'm the favorite," River said as she released Elphaba's hand. "I'm just so happy to meet the girl that discovered your brains. That's a major discovery that deserves a medal."

Elphaba chuckled softly as Fiyero rolled his eyes again. "Sure, River."

"So, Elphaba, I want you to give me all the juicy dirt on Fiyero. He won't tell me everything about Shiz, so I need to redirect my sources."

"Well, did he tell you about the time he fell asleep under a tree with his thumb in his mouth?"

"Yero always sleeps with his thumb in his mouth. He's a big baby."

The prince quickly picked up his cousin and threw her over his shoulder. "Okay, River. That's enough chitter-chatter."

"Yero, put me down!" the teenager exclaimed, pounding her fist against the prince's back.

"Not until you take back everything you said about me not having brains."

"Never!"

"Get ready for a head rush, then."

"Yero, River, aren't you two too old to be doing that?" Fiyero's Aunt Lutcia asked.

"She started it!" Fiyero said at the same time River said, "He started it!" But the prince reluctantly put his cousin down.

"So, Elphaba, I want you to tell me everything about yourself, because Fiyero's told me close to nothing about you because he said that I could ask you myself," River said as she smiled at Elphaba.

Elphaba smiled softly. She really didn't feel like telling her life story again. Fiyero sensed her feelings and promised his cousin that he would give her the basic rundown later.

"I promise," he said again when he saw the look she gave him. "But Fae's just been through the interrogation."

"Ooh, yeah. That's not fun," River said. "I've seen those. The Aunties and Uncles can be very harsh. Very well. You two are off the hook… for now."

"I'm going into the parlor to lie down," Elphaba said as Fiyero wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you feeling sick?" Fiyero asked, concerned.

"No, just tired. I was going to go back inside for a little break."

"Do you want me to walk with you?"

"No, stay out here with your family. I'll be fine."

The prince didn't look completely sure, but nodded, kissed his girlfriend's forehead, and watched as she left.

"She's a great choice for you, Yero," River smiled, looking up at her older cousin.

"You didn't seem startled by her skin. I mean, I know I told you, but you still didn't seem surprised to actually see it," Fiyero said, looking down at her.

"Fiyero, she could be any color of the rainbow, but what I care about is the fact that she got you to use your brain," River said sincerely. "No matter how small it is," she added as an afterthought.

"You know, we almost had a good, tender moment," Fiyero said. "Until you ruined it."

River shrugged and skipped away, leaving Fiyero alone, shaking his head.


Here is a list of all the reused OC names:

Alyena, Navon, Raal, Amalie

River, Maven, Ebaline, Cally, Windon, Melanie, Luciana, Joachim, Maylah, Kilyer, Maia, Nicia, Amalitta, and Nuna

So, 14 names, not counting Alyena, Navon, Raal and Amalie.

Two more chapters until the big #NiaHasNoChill! *Cackles*